Defender Avraam Papadopoulos enjoyed a dream debut for Trabzonspor AŞ, scoring deep into added time to earn his new club a 2-1 UEFA Europa League Group L win at FC Metalist Kharkiv.

Ihor Rakhaiev's side had looked destined to earn a draw at their European base in Lviv after Volodymyr Homenyuk cancelled out Kévin Constant's first-half opener for the Black Sea Storm. However, Papadopoulos – newly arrived from Olympiacos FC – stuck out a toe to meet Mustapha Yatabaré's flick-on from a 94th-minute free-kick and scoop all three points.

Metalist made much of the running in the first half but went to sleep from Sefa Yilmaz's corner on 25 minutes, with Guinean Constant – a summer signing from AC Milan – allowed far too much time and space to score his first Trabzonspor goal. Suitably chastened, Metalist pushed on, and Cleiton Xavier drew a save from Onur Kıvrak on 40 minutes, while Vasyl Kobin went close with a diving header just before the break.

Homenyuk had gone within inches of connecting with a dangerous Cristian Villagra ball from the right on 55 minutes before Metalist perfected the formula. The Argentinian left-back swept a ball across the face of goal from the flank and Kobin nodded it back at the far post for Homenyuk to steer past Onur. Villagra then shot into Onur's midriff as time ticked down, but fate had an unhappy end in store for Metalist.

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